Officials broaden focus on distracted flying

Aviation

Joan Lowy and Ken Thomas, Associated Press

Published
4:00 am PDT, Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot their Minneapolis destination by 150 miles have prompted the Obama administration to broaden its look at distracted driving to include distracted flying, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday.

"We're not going to equivocate on this. Any kind of distraction, whether it's trains, planes or automobiles is a distraction and we should figure out ways to get these cell phones, the texting ... and the use of laptops out of the hands of people who are supposed to be delivering the public to somewhere safely," LaHood said.

The pilots of Northwest flight 188 told safety investigators they lost track of time and place while using their laptops to work out crew schedules. They said they were out of communications with air traffic controllers and their company's dispatchers for 91 minutes while cruising at 37,000 feet, unaware that they had flown past their destination of Minneapolis until a flight attendant called them on an intercom.

Afterward, LaHood told reporters that FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is exploring whether there should be a uniform prohibition on the use of laptops and other personal electronic devices during flight. Some airlines already have policies governing their use.

The Obama administration and lawmakers have already expressed interest in cracking down on distracted driving, including the use of mobile devices while behind the wheel. LaHood held a summit meeting in September that brought together researchers, regulators and other experts on distracted driving.

A group of senators proposed legislation on Wednesday that would offer incentive grants to states that approve laws to combat distracted driving.